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The character intoning that line in Paul McCartney’s famous song about growing old must have been confident in his longevity: According to the U.S. Census, the average lifespan for a male in 1967 was 67 years and for a woman 74 years. From a strictly Census data-standpoint, there might not have been many years left to “rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight” or spend with the grandkids, “Vera, Chuck and Dave.”

Incidentally, McCartney turns 71 this month and still performs on stage with a vigor that would have been rare for a man his age 45 years ago. Sixty-four isn’t considered “old” anymore, and each year our definition of “old” continues to change. Currently, the Census Bureau’s projected lifespan in 2015 is 76 years for men and 81 years for women.